New Brew Thursday - Laughing Dog Tripleheader

Whilst out searching for new brews, I came across this trio of pups.  I couldn't decide which of these I wanted take home so I took all three . . . which is exactly the reason I never go into a pet shop.  


The canine inspired labels are what drew me to the bottles, the hoppy contents are what put them in my basket . . . I felt a need to quench my IPA thirst.  And, these puppies did the trick.


The Laughing Dog Brewery is located in Ponderay, Idaho . . . the land of potatoes and beer.


Inspired by Ben the dog and a love for good beer, the brewers aim for simplicity in their beers . . . in nearly all the Laughing Dog brews water, barley, hops and yeast are the only ingredients.



Their motto: "Fetchingly Good Beer"!


As we sat down to enjoy this trio of India Pale Ales we decided to go in order from lightest to strongest.

We started with Rocket Dog Rye IPA.  I'd never had a rye IPA, so I didn't know what to expect.  It poured a light golden color that was fairly cloudy with a decent amount of head.    Reading other reviews of this same beer, I expected it to smell of rye bread and a hint of orange . . . it did not . . . not at all.   Frankly, it smelled awful and it was tough to get past that.  But, I held my nose and took a sip.  

Of the three this was my least favorite, but at least it tasted better than it smelled.  It was hoppy but not overly so, citrusy and a little bitter with another flavor I couldn't quite identify . . . perhaps the rye.  


Again, other reviews I've read rate this beer much higher and describe a much better flavor than I experienced.  I'm thinking that maybe I got a bum bottle.  I'll have to try it again sometime.    



Rocket Dog . . . 6.9% ABV





Next up was the Dogzilla Black IPA . . . this was one way better from the get go.


As its name would imply, it is pretty dark for a pale ale.  This beer poured a dark reddish brown color with a seriously big rootbeer-like head.  It smelled citrussy, piney . . . mouthwateringly hoppy.  It was an interesting mix of grapefruit, bitter chocolate and roasted malt . . . balanced and delicious. 





If you like a bitter, hoppy beer you won't be disappointed . . . I wasn't.


Dogzilla Black IPA . . . 6.9% ABV

Last but not least, my favorite of the group . . . Alpha Dog Imperial IPA.  Strong and hoppy  goodly amount of head.  I drool just thinking about it.


It pours a bright gold fluffy head that diminishes quickly leaving a nice amount of lacing behind.   Citrus, pineapple, and pine infuse the aroma.  The taste hops, hops and more hops . . . wow.   From the nose to the palate . . . lots of grapefruity goodness, lemon and a touch of sweetness to finish it off.

 I could definately taste the alcohol but it didn't detract from the overall flavor of this beer.  Nicely carbonated, lightly sweet and smooth.  


Yum.


Alpha Dog Imperial IPA . . . 8.7% ABV

Visit the Laughing Dog at their website or on Facebook.

He's pining for the fjords!

A great quote from the 1934 movie The Gay Divorcee . . . Pining? Men don't pine. Girls pine. Men just... suffer. 


And they should. . . men . . . suffer that is.


What is this pining of which he speaks.  I'm sure he's not talking about conifer trees.


No, indeed not.  "Pine" comes from the Old English word "pinian" which, in turn,  was derived from the Latin word "poena" which means pain.  




If someone is "pining for" something, they are suffering from a loss. As in the case of the Gay Divorcee . . . Guy is longing desperately for Mimi.


Ah . . . the suffering . . . makes perfect sense now.  No need to dig out the Christmas decorations. 


Suck it up, Guy . . . 

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

1 Package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 Egg

1/3 Cup Milk

3-4 Hot Dogs

Nonstick Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

I have a spiffy cast iron cornbread pan but you can use a mini muffin pan as a substitute.

Generously coat the cups of  the pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

Prepare corn muffin mix as instructed on box: whisk together egg and milk and stir in dry muffin mix until incorporated and still slightly lumpy.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Cut hot dogs into 1-inch pieces.

Using a ¼ cup measure, place one scoop/dollop into each mini muffin cup until no batter remains.  Place one hot dog section in the middle of each filled muffin cup. 

Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove, run a knife around the edge of the mini cups to loosen them and turn out.  

Hey, I sent you an email

I’m not sure why, but some people in my office think it’s necessary to tell me that the just sent me an email  . . . 


"Hey, I sent you an email." 


Come on people, is this really needed?  Really . . . what’s the point?  If it’s that important then call me, for goodness sake!


That’s right up there with Excessive capitalization.  Are you trying to intimidate me into acting on your email immediately?  No?  THEN STOP YELLING AT ME!


Oh . . . if you’re going to send me a message that has been forwarded again and again . . . don’t bother because I’m going to circular file that along with all of my other junk mail.


And . . . you will never ever EVER get a read receipt from me.  That doesn’t mean I haven’t read your message it just means I don’t send read receipts.  If your email requires a response, then I will do so . . . on my schedule, not yours.  


That is all . . . stepping off my soap box.  

Pineapple Ginger Smoothie  

1 1/2 Cups Diced Fresh Pineapple

1 Banana

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt, Flavor Of Your Choice

1 Tbsp. Grated Fresh Ginger

1/2 Cup Ice

1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice Or Water

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.  Serve immediately.

For a different twist, try adding in a pinch of ground cinnamon to this smoothie!

The sound of my voice

Have you ever noticed that the way your voice sounds to you when you speak as opposed to the way it sounds in a recording is so different?  I mean, when anyone else talks it sounds the same whether I hear it live or via a recording or over the phone.  What's up with that?

The reason for this is because when you hear your own voice when your talking you're hearing it a combination of two ways . . . your hearing the sound as it travels directly through your head and also as it travels through the air into your ear.





When you hear a recording of your voice you're only hearing it via airwaves . . . just like everyone else's voice you hear.    





This is why your own voice sounds strange when played back from a recording.  By the way . . . I like my voice much better in my head.

Sausage Cabbage Soup

1 Can of Chicken Broth

1 Lb. Bulk Sausage, Browned

3 Strips Bacon, Cooked

1/2 Head of Cabbage - Chopped

3 Large Carrots - Chopped

8 Stalks of Celery

1 Can Chopped Tomatoes

1 Can of Sliced Mushrooms

1 Pkg of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

12 Oz Can of V-8 Juice

 

Chop all veggies into bite size pieces. Drain and rinse canned mushrooms. 


Brown sausage in a large pot.  Add all remaining ingredients to the pot - bring to a boil then cook on low for an hour then on low for 3 hours. Low calorie and very filling.

How my garden grows - 1st Planting

Better Boy Tomatoes (Hybrid)


8 Plants
75 Days to maturity
Space 18" to 24" apart with 3' to 5' between rows


Companions: basil, peas and beans























Early Perfection Peas

Seeds sowed
Emerge 7 to 14 days
65 Days to Maturity
Sow 2" apart in double rows 2" deep.


3 1/2" pods with 7 -10 sweet peas per pod


Companions: tomatoes

Kentucky Wonder Beans

Seeds sowed
Emerge 6 to 10 days
65 Days to Maturity
Erect pols 3 feet apoart.  
4 to 6 seeds around each pole.  
Thin leaving strongest 3 or 4 plants.


Companions: tomatoes



















Zucchini

47 to 52 days to maturity
Plant in mounds 3 feet apart with 2 to 3 plants per mound.

Companions: radishes, beans

I've been slimed!

I'm always looking for ways of saving money, being healthier and simply being self-sufficient.


I make my own soap, wash my hair with baking soda & vinegar, grow vegetables, preserve foods by canning & dehydrating.  I make my own butter, make pickles and mustard . . . I bake bread.  I cut my husband's hair and he maintains our vehicles.




After reading the about the yuckiness of 'pink slime' that is added to ground beef, I was kind of queasy about buying prepackaged ground beef in the grocery store.  


Just in case you've been living in a hole in recent months, it has been brought to the public attention that an additive known as 'pink slime' is being added to ground meat being sold in grocery stores and served by food service companies.  What is this slime?  It's pretty much the stuff they used to put in pet food . . . fat, tendons, lips, ears, and other random meat scraps.  Now they transform these former waste parts into a by-product called 'boneless lean beef.' These parts are then liquified and sterilized with ammonia . . . yes, I said, ammonia . . . and then this crap is injected into ground beef as a filler.  

So anyway . . . as a way to avoid getting slimed and save a few dollars in the process I've started grinding my own meat.  In addition, to the cost savings and lack of additives it's also healthier.


When I'm at the grocery story I look for roasts and steaks that are on sale.  A good one to look for is London broil.  It's relatively lean and what fat there is is easy to trim.  I recently purchased seven pounds of fresh meat on sale for $1.99 per pound . . . meat that normally goes for $5.99 per pound.


Like I said, London broil is pretty lean.  So, when I compare what it costs for 93% lean  . . . $6.29/lb . . . that's a huge bargain.  Granted, the meat is on sale because it's soon to go past is freshness date.  But, that's okay because I am either going to use it immediately or freeze it.  


Once I get the meat home, I trim any excess fat . . . a little fat is okay . . . and cut it into cubes.  Then I feed it to my Kitchenaid mixer which I've fitted with the food grinding attachment.  

Obviously, this take more time than picking up a package of ground meat infused with lord knows what.  But it's super easy and it's highly gratifying.


After the meat is all ground up, I separate the it in to 1 to 1-1/2 pound packages using an old postage scale. Then I  vacuum seal the packages, label them and freeze them.  







Easy peasy . . . fresh ground beef with no effluvial crap mixed in and a few extra bucks in my pocket . . . over all, a win/win.

















I've been slimed!
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. 
Ghostbusters